It's no secret that I eat most of my meals in restaurants. It's convenient, I don't have to do dishes and I can seek creative culinary offerings when the mood strikes. (Also, kinda my job.) Over the last year, I've had a lot of memorable meals. Here are a few of my favorite crave-worthy items from 2013:

These two soups couldn't be less alike, but I love them equally. The first is a thick Persian number overflowing with barley, beans and herbs and bursting with flavor. The pho is brothy, stocked with thin tangled egg noodles and pork-stuffed wontons, and quite comforting on a cold day.

Favorite lunch: Bruschetta (French Pantry, Southside)

Possibly the longest line I'll wait in for a meal, let alone lunch, is at French Pantry. Thick, house-baked crusty bread is generously buttered then topped with shrimp, artichoke hearts and

rich goat cheese, served with a heaping mound of balsamic and basil diced tomatoes atop a bed of mixed greens. Go now to get in line.

Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, these hand-cut potatoes are topped with chewy, bite-sized cheese curds and cubes of housemade pastrami. Warm smoked short rib gravy is drizzled on top, tableside.

Favorite dessert: Orange crunch cake (Picasso's, Mandarin)

This is probably my most unexpected food victory of the year. I had my heart set on one dessert but the waitress sold me on this one instead. It's unique and delicious. I even made sure I had a slice on my birthday, that's how good it is. Order it, love it, thank me later.

I love pizza, and I've eaten a lot of it. (Seriously. I'm an expert.) Brewer's is out of the way but worth the trek every time. The Smacker is like a deep-dish pie but smaller and, perhaps most important, the cheese extends to the edge of the crust, forming a seemingly infinite surface of golden deliciousness. Add a side of ranch for dipping.